Jornal da Mostra
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Edição:
Leon Cakoff, de Cannes, para o ‘Jornal da Mostra’
Sex with politics triggers the wrath, yet again, of chinese censorship
A film in Competition at the 59th Cannes Film Festival - "Summer Palace", by Lou Ye - makes it seem as though every festival is the same, all over again. No sooner is a film, at a festival, defined as truly outstanding, than frightening news spreads far reporting on the reaction of the Chinese government authorities that describe themselves as communist. This time, the wrath of China is directed at "Summer Palace", a mix that is less explosive than it threatened to be - sex with politics. The Chinese government requested that all accredited Chinese journalists at the French festival return home immediately arguing that the film left China without undergoing censorship.
"Summer Palace" brings back the euphoric year of 1989, with young university students brimming with love and with energy, but with little room to give vent to their feelings other than with sex bordering on incredible promiscuity. How does this real story end? In the massacre of idealistic students in the Square of Celestial Peace that all will remember for the sight of a passer-by, defiant, in the path of a war tank. This image is not included in the film that, also, does not offer a good reconstitution of the student movement.
The best of the student movement in the daring film by Lou Ye is at a level of bed, in sexual movements. These are scenes hitherto unheard of in a Chinese film. The daring element, however, wears thin with repetition. What is left of positive is an idealistic portrait of young Chinese with no sure destination, with no ideology, bereft of conviction, and fearless - until the time of violent repression, the image of which we still hold in our stunned memories. And what can be retained of this film, which is sad, is the capacity, always renewed, of repressive regimes such as that of China, to harvest a new generation of youngsters, spread worldwide, and frustrate their dreams and ideals of liberty. And, in China, this tragedy never ceases to repeat itself, generation after generation.
The news of repression of a Chinese film might be seen as marketing, but the
historical background shows us that, unhappily, anger is all too real.
For further information:
www.festival-cannes.org
